Total Place is framed around a simple question; ‘can we do better for less?' If we focus all the public involvement and investment in a place around the people who live, work and play there, could we provide for them a fundamentally different and better experience? And by so doing could we alleviate the impact of the impending reductions in public spending? In the face of the unprecedented financial pressure we now face, the Leadership Centre for Local Government has designed a process that supports local authorities and their partners to transform the way they work with residents, each other and central government. Politicians and senior managers in thirteen pilot areas have volunteered to take forward the work, joining colleagues from across Whitehall, health and the police under the guidance of Sir Michael Bichard. Each pilot is choosing its own theme, through which it will explore how to deliver more for less. The themes refl ect local priorities such as drugs and alcohol, an ageing population or children's health. Through the eyes of the customer, the two strands that make up the DNA of total place are brought together. The first is the counting strand, which examines all public investment in a place – local, regional and national – and follows where that money ends up. Secondly, the culture element explores how we can work better together beyond institutional, professional and geographic boundaries. Together, these strands aim to identify potential efficiencies and help people and organizations work together to achieve them. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. This project has the active involvement of three government ministers and the wholehearted endorsement of local political leaders at the LGA, with the combined resources of the Leadership Centre, the LGA and the IDeA deployed to support local government in this work. John Atkinson is chief executive of the Leadership Centre Back to the Total Place Home
